Italian football has hit a low point this year, with clubs and the national side both struggling to make an impact on the continental stage. In European competitions, no Serie A team progressed beyond the quarter‑finals, and Atalanta was the sole Italian representative to reach the Champions League round of 16. The situation was even more stark for the Azzurri, who missed out on a third consecutive World Cup, a scenario that feels almost unimaginable for a nation that has lifted the trophy four times. The first two World Cup absences were softened by the euphoria of the Euro 2020 triumph at Wembley, a victory that offered a brief glimmer of hope.
However, the latest failure to qualify for the expanded 48‑team tournament proved to be the final straw. The disappointment triggered a cascade of resignations: head coach Gennaro Gattuso stepped down, Italian FA president Gabriele Gravina quit, and legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon relinquished his role as the team’s head of delegation. "It’s a painful subject for me because missing three World Cups in a row is a huge blow, and Italy certainly doesn’t deserve it," captain Gianluigi Donnarumma told Sky Sports.
In response to the crisis, the federation turned back to a familiar figure – Roberto Mancini, the manager who guided Italy to Euro glory five years ago, has been reinstated at the helm. Donnarumma summed up the new direction: "We have to work.
The only way forward is to work. With a new coach and the return of Mr. Mancini, our goal is to rebuild and bring Italy back to where it belongs. It’s not easy for the fans, but especially for us players, because we know how much it means to compete in a World Cup.
We’ll give everything to restore Italy’s rightful place in football history." Indeed, Italy’s historical pedigree suggests it should be among the elite, yet the team has drifted far from that level for several years. The most recent World Cup debacle is just the latest episode in a long decline that began after the nation’s peak in 2006. Two decades later, the dramatic penalty‑shootout victory over France remains Italy’s last appearance in a World Cup knockout round, and the Azzurri have recorded only a single World Cup win since – a 2‑1 triumph over England in Brazil 2014. There were bright moments, such as the 2012 European Championship run that saw Italy reach the final, but the subsequent years have been marked by an erosion of talent.
The 2006 World Cup squad featured icons like Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso and Alessandro Del Piero. By 2012, the core of that generation persisted through Gianluigi Buffon, Daniele De Rossi and Andrea Pirlo. Since the retirements of stalwarts Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, the pipeline of high‑quality Italian players has thinned dramatically.
Data from the CIES Football Observatory underscores the problem: between 2020 and 2025 Italy exported just 413 players, ranking 24th worldwide – behind nations such as the United States, Japan and Russia. The other four major European leagues each produced well over 1,000 exports in the same period, indicating that Italian talent is no longer in high demand among Europe’s top clubs.
The scarcity of emerging stars is also evident in the national team’s composition. From June 2025 to February 2026, only one capped player under the age of 24 – Inter’s promising forward Pio Esposito – featured for Italy, whereas England fielded a dozen youngsters in the same window. Moreover, in 2025 Italian clubs allocated a mere 1.9 percent of Serie A playing minutes to players under 21, the second‑lowest figure among the world’s top 50 leagues, surpassed only by the United Arab Emirates Pro League.
Serie A’s own quality has suffered. High‑profile signings such as Kevin De Bruyne, Luka Modrić and Jamie Vardy arrived, yet the league’s creative spark has dimmed. Coaching turnover has not helped; figures like Antonio Conte, Massimiliano Allegri, Gattuso, Luciano Spalletti and Maurizio Sarri have rotated among the top clubs without introducing fresh tactical ideas. This summer, Sarri moved to Atalanta and Allegri took over Juventus, illustrating the lack of innovation.
Occasionally, outside influences have sparked change. Cesc Fàbregas’s appointment at Como led the modest side to a Champions League berth, and Ruben Amorim’s stint at AC Milan produced attractive, attacking football.
These examples show that new philosophies can revitalize Italian clubs. There are encouraging signs that a generational shift may be underway for the national team. Mancini’s first squad included a surprising number of newcomers: nine uncapped players and eleven under‑23s made the 34‑man roster.
Among them are Dortmund’s 18‑year‑old striker Samuele Inácio, Crystal Palace defender Honest Ahanor (soon to join Chelsea), and Brentford’s Michael Kayode – part of what the media has dubbed a "young revolution." In addition to Inácio and the highly‑rated Inter forward Pio Esposito, who has already netted five goals in nine appearances, there is FC Nürnberg’s Ali Zoma, a prolific scorer with 20 goals in 36 games in Germany’s second division, and Sporting CP midfielder Issa Doumbia, who has been instrumental this season. This cohort represents a fresh wave of Italian talent ready to make an impact. "There will certainly be some established players. We’re getting older, but we’re still young, and there will also be very young players joining the team," Donnarumma explained.
"It will be a mixture, and we need to help these young players integrate well. They can give us a great deal of help. They’re talented and need experience, but I’m confident Italy will return to where it belongs." Italy now faces a demanding Nations League group alongside Belgium, Turkey and France in Group A, a test that will gauge the effectiveness of Mancini’s rebuild. After years of obscurity, the Azzurri need a single spark to reignite their fortunes.
For a deeper look at Italy’s challenges and a preview of Mancini’s second spell, tune in to The World Football Show this Thursday at 2 p.m. on Sky Sports News.